In a message dated 11/23/05 8:10:31 AM Central Standard Time,
roger.books@xxxxxxxxx writes:
Much of this depends on weapons doesn't it? I can't count the
number of military sci-fi stories where air power has been written out of the
equation.
Glenn:
Every grunts dream since Twilight 2000...
Hammers Slammers and the Bolo books come to mind.
Glenn: Nice
presupposition. For the treadheads that would be good but in the
Tuffleyverse I suspect it's not likely. I think I'd go for some nice Air
to Mud movers even before VTOL myself. Arty, AFVs, Infantry,
Engineers, Aerospace, even VTOL - they all have a place in the combined arms
team.
One big planetary defense weapon in a city could make Ortillery useless.
Glenn:
Perhaps.
As for your low-tech high-tech comparison the combat technology in
the GZG universe hasn't progressed all that much. I can see the tech
edge being insignificant. OTH the training edge is going to be
huge. I don't know about you but I would place my money on a modern
special forces unit with WWII weaponry over militia with the latest and
greatest.
Roger Books
<snip>
I think that is relative to missions of the two organizations,
size and relative tech/training.
A Platoon of Modern SF forces could harass the heck out of a
division of well trained/combat experienced (say last 5
years) troops like a combined arms Militia/Reserve/National Guard/etc. in
the 'wilds' but deny a city to them? No.
Block a road/pass/river crossing for a period of time? Yes,
at risk of disintegrating the unit defending. Hold it for a week?
Highly Unlikely.
Meet them in a 'meeting engagement' (not terribly common in real
life but war game favorite scenario for many) type battle? I would hope
not for the Platoon's sake.
And in game terms, I would hope that a
larger Low tech "Blue and Green" HVC tracked force with Arty, VTOL and
Aerospace support (much less Vacuum based support) would brush
the "Orange or even Red" level Platoon aside in anything
static. No matter how fast your Grav vehicles are they can't outrun
aerospace so bring an AA "edge" if the invaders bring anything even
semi-modern (Warthogs anyone?) to the table.
Just IMO.